Open Primaries

Saturday, November 14, 2009

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS -- A pox on both your parties!

Terry Hurlbut comes closer than most to capturing the true character of independent voters, if from a conservative view (tipoff -- he talks about NY 23, but not the election of NYC's first independent mayor on the Independence Party line), and questions the major pollsters' analysis. Independents, organized, is what will give independent voters more say in politics and policy... One stop on that road is open primaries, on the ballot in California for 2010..... Henry Stern (Yonkers' own) gets it right -- and then gets it wrong.

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Independent voices (Essex County Conservative Examiner, Terry Hurlbut) An independent voter, called an "unaffiliated voter" here in New Jersey, is one who does not identify with either of the two major parties.

Lou Dobbs for president! The former CNN host sounds like he's running for office -- and if so, he's a GOP nightmare (BY JOE CONASON, Associated Press, Salon) Mr. Independent is a star-spangled superhero, dazzling enemies with his ferocious smile as he restores truth, justice and the American Way to a grateful "independent nation."

Other View: Parties stand to gain from welcoming independents (By: Editorial Board, Aberdeen American News, Daily Republic) If these first-time voters aren’t naturally gravitating toward being Republicans or Democrats, or some other third party, we need to question not whether but why Republicans or Democrats aren’t representing the values of the emerging independent class of voters.

Two-party system has become too rigid (LETTERS to San Diego Union Tribune) The logical solution is still the blanket open primary, which the bosses of the two parties hate because it takes power from them and returns it to its rightful owners, the voters.

U-T Editorial: Punishing the unpure-Both political parties should open their big tent (San Diego Union Tribune)

BLOOMBERG 09

Polls Predicted a Bloomberg Blowout, but Expert Knew Better (By SAM ROBERTS, NY Times) Mr. Gyory, a lobbyist, political consultant and aide to three New York governors, was convinced that the race would not be the blowout predicted by numerous polls, precisely because of what the polls themselves consistently revealed: The percentage of New Yorkers who said they would vote for Mr. Bloomberg barely climbed above 50. Apparently, the only people who listened worked for Mr. Bloomberg.

New York Civic: E-Day Plus 10 - What Happened, and Why? (By Henry J. Stern, Yonkers Tribune blog) City-wide, voters cast 142,817 votes on the Independence Party line for Bloomberg, In 2005 his total on the Independence line was 74,655 and in 2001, his first race for mayor, his Independence total was 59,091.